


Tale As Old As Time

by MSiLeT



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beauty and the Beast!AU, Dark Wizard!Merlin, Elements of Rumbelle, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, prince!harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-02 11:45:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13317408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MSiLeT/pseuds/MSiLeT
Summary: Prince Harry's kingdom is in grave danger and the only man that can save it is Merlin, the Dark Wizard. He would do it, but for a price, of course.A BatB/Rumbelle!AU for Merlahad because every ship needs a BatB!AU. You don't need to know BatB or Rumbelle beforehand to read this story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank anarchycox for being so lovely and beta read this for me.

A group of people stops on a mountaintop, breathing heavily. They are all on foot despite carrying weapons and wearing heavy, ornate armour. Their horses all had to stop halfway due to how craggy the pathway was. A handsome young knight named Galahad, looking to be in his twenties, with slightly curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, takes off his helmet and looks around. The scenery around him is breath-taking, with mountains and trees stretching out to the horizon. However, the immense beauty before his eyes doesn't do anything to soothe his nerves. Around him, the other armoured knights also reveal their faces, fully of worry.  

"I don't get why we have to travel all the way up here to meet him. He has magic, doesn't he? I bet he can be anywhere he wants and only demanded us here to mess with us," a young knight, Lancelot, grumbles. 

"We are asking him for a favour, a big favour, Lancelot. Beggar can't be chooser," answers another knight, Galahad's younger brother, Percival. 

"We could still win the war without him. We are still here, aren't we? Why are we asking such a dark wizard to fight our war?" Lancelot stubbornly counters. 

"Lancelot, delusional child. It is over. He is our last hope to protect our land against the invading horde of the cursed. Every soldier we lost is a soldier they gained, and we lost too many. Our people are suffering. This war is not a game that you can lose without repercussions," the king, Arthur, in his golden armour, talks to Lancelot with authority. Lancelot bows down, "Yes, my Liege."  

"Where is he?" Galahad interrupts, "His message specified that we should meet at noon today and yet, I have not seen any sign of him here." 

"Have a little patience, Galahad," Arthur sighs, "They said the wizard Merlin never breaks a promise." 

"No, I never have," says a slightly accented voice that causes all the knights to pull out their swords and point them at the source. The man wears a big black robe, his eyes are hidden under the shadow of his hood, smirks, showing his fangs, "As if ye can hurt me with mere swords." 

Arthur comes forward and bows, an action that shocks his knights but he silences them with a look and they put their weapons away. "Merlin, I am King Arthur, I was the one writing to ask for your help." 

"Aye, I have read your letter, something about your country getting overrun. I can help you..." he pauses for dramatic effect, "but what will you give me in exchange?" 

The king gestures the knights to open the two crates of gold and other precious gems. Merlin tilts his head for Arthur to elaborate so he speaks, "This is all we have left. We have been at war for over five years, resources are running out." 

To everyone's astonishment, Merlin barks out a laugh. "You think I want gold and gems? I have so much of them I don't even know where to store them," then, he becomes serious again, "No. I want something more useful. Or someone." 

Someone? Galahad doesn't like the sound of this. Is this bastard demanding some virgin sacrifice? What wicked thing does he even want to do with them? 

"How about him?" Merlin points at Galahad. "Sir Galahad isn't it? The greatest knight of Kingsman?" 

Everyone turns to stare at Galahad, Arthur gets visibly angry and shouts at the wizard, "What the hell do you want with my son, you evil sorcerer?"  

Merlin doubles over laughing, his deep voice echoing against the mountains. After managing to get his laughter under control, he talks, still grinning, "Temper, temper, old man! I have no nefarious design for your son. I simply need a bodyguard. My recent rise to fame drives many men, desperate, greedy or jealous ones, to try to harm me and I am tired of being on guard all the time." 

Lancelot yells, "You can't just take our best fighter, we are at war!" 

Merlin retorts, "Well, with my help, you dinnae need to fight anymore, aye? I, however, need the best knight I can get. My enemies are not just some simpletons." 

Percival, silent up until now, makes his voice heard, "My brother is the crown prince of Southvale! He can't go serve a... a beast like you!" 

Merlin tsks, turns around and walks away, "Then, there is nothing else here to discuss. Good day, gentlemen." 

"Please forgive my brother for his insolence, he is still young," Galahad finally speaks up, "If I go with you, can you guarantee that we will beat back the cursed army?" 

Merlin, not bothering to turn around, gives out an exasperated sigh, "If I didn't think I could do this, I wouldn't have replied." 

"Very well then," Galahad turns to his father and fellow knights, bows and says, "Dear father, my brothers, I have vowed an oath to protect Southvale and its people at all costs, therefore I will follow Merlin in exchange for his service to our country. It is my decision. I hope you can give me your blessings." 

King Arthur nods. "If such is your wish, then you have my approval, son. Good luck and may our ancestors bless your way. You have saved us." The knights bow to Galahad and bid him good luck as well. 

"If you people are done being sentimental, I'd like Sir Galahad to walk over here to me. Your ammunition, weapons and instructions will arrive tomorrow afternoon. Good day!" Merlin grumbles. As Galahad comes near him, both of them vanish. 

  

* * *

 

The wizard and the knight pop up in the dimly lit main hall of what could once be called a palace. Galahad coughs up a fit while struggling to stand up straight due to dizziness.  

"What the hell was that?" he complains, "And where the hell are we?" 

"We're at the Dark Palace, my residence and also, from now on, yours," Merlin smirks, taking his hood off and revealing his strange, beastly face, his big, golden eyes challenging. 

"So here it is," Galahad tries to stand up straight and look Merlin in the eye without showing his fear or disgust, it wouldn't do to alienate the man deciding the fate of your people the very first minute. He extends a hand out to the dark wizard, "They call me Sir Galahad but my real name is Harry. I will try my hardest to fulfil my tasks and make sure you don't regret helping Southvale." 

Merlin looks at Harry strangely, then at the knight's extended hand, yet making no move to shake it. He tilts his head, saying "See that you do," turns around and starts walking. When Merlin reaches the great, ornate door at the end of the hall and realises Harry is still standing rooted to the spot, he turns his head around and asks with an irritated tone, "Ye going to stand around all day or are ye going to follow me to your room?" 

 _How rude_ , Harry thinks as he quickly picks up his meagre belongings and runs after Merlin.  

He follows the man through corridors and stairs, trying to remember his way so he won't get lost tomorrow. Merlin seems to have no interest in giving him any pointer so Harry will have to make do with what he can see in the darkness, which in itself is a peculiar thing, as it is only afternoon. At one point, Merlin stops and opens the door to a small room with a single bed, a chest, a sad looking chair and an almost decrepit wooden table. 

He gestures for Harry to come in and says, "There is a clock at the end of the hall, next to the washroom. Its bell will chime at five every morning. I expect you to report to me tomorrow in the great hall exactly half an hour later." He then walks away without saying anything more. 

Harry walks around his new living space, trying to take in the surroundings and then changes out of his armour. He realises that the only clothes he owns are the one he is wearing. It's not his fault that Merlin has decided to just magic him here without any warning. A few hours later, some food appears on his table. _At least he hasn't forgotten to feed me_ , Harry muses to himself while trying to sit down carefully so he would not break the furniture.  

In the evening, as Harry lies around in the uncomfortable bed, he thinks back on the events of the day, on how things have changed. Only less than twelve hours ago, he was a prince, and despite his country being war-torn, he had certain privileges when it comes to living condition, now, he is simply a servant to a very rude wizard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry in this series should look like Colin Firth in Another Country or around the same time.
> 
> I have decided this to be my first M-rated fanfic, please cheer for me so I don't chicken out at the last moment *wipe sweat nervously*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, a whole lot of things happen in this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to anarchycox for betaing!

The clock down the hall chimes and Harry sits straight up. He thought he would have had troubles sleeping due to the new environment but he was more exhausted than expected and slept like a log. He walks quickly to the washroom to ready himself, having checked the tiny room out the day before. It has a bathtub that Harry quite hesitates to use for fear of his skin dissolving, a bucket and a chamber pot. For now, he just uses the drinking water he brought with him to wash his face, he will have to carry some fresh water up here and scrub the tub clean later.

It takes him some time to find his way back to the great hall. It is still pitch dark everywhere. Apparently, the Dark Wizard lives up to his name, literally.

As he enters the room, he sees Merlin already sitting in a massive chair at the far end of the long table, sipping tea from a white cup with gold rim while reading from a stack of papers. A candelabra that holds three burning candles stands in front of him. _Well, not wholly averse to light then._ The small scales on Merlin's skin reflect the candlelight, causing them to look like they are glittering, especially on his bald head. His eyes seem absurdly big and bright. Harry thinks he resembles a giant insect in human shape.

"You are late," Merlin complains, not looking up. "Can you even follow simple orders?"

Is he actually late? He has no way of telling if Merlin is being truthful or just messing with him, but he might have walked around in circles somewhere along the way. He apologises politely.

"Forgive me, it is really dark and I didn't see where I was going."

Merlin releases a put-upon sigh, grumbling, "The incompetence. I didn't even have high expectation for you and you've managed to disappoint me."

Harry bristles. _Has this guy truly no manner?_ If it wasn't for the deal, he would have given Merlin a piece of his mind. He summons his gentlemanly demeanour to conceal his sarcasm behind and answers, "I shall endeavour to not disappoint you further. I hope you haven't change your mind about the deal?"

"Right... Refill my tea, will you?" he puts the cup down on the table, still reading.

As Harry comes over to pour more tea into the cup, Merlin says, "Your main task is to stay in my castle and guard it against any intruders, especially while I am away. I might need you accompanying me one of these days as well. Other than that, you will clean up this place as much as you can and tend to my horses." He pretends not to see Harry's frown and continues, "The West Wing is off-limits, however. You will also do exactly what I tell you to, including hunting and killing children for their pelts."

"WHAT?", Harry yells, accidentally knocking the cup over. It falls to the floor and a small piece breaks off. _Oh shite_. He tries to put it back on the table, the chipped side facing away from Merlin to hide it and pour tea in.

"The last part was a quip, not serious," Merlin grins.

Harry lets out a sigh of relief despite still feeling completely wrong-footed by this strange person. He brings up business, partly to divert Merlin's attention away from the cup.

"To help me serve you to the best of my abilities, I need light. It's beneficial for both of us if I can navigate the castle easily and not breaking any of your possessions. I also need some clothes and personal belongings, as I came here with nothing other than the clothes I am wearing."

"Already making demands, aren't ye?" Merlin tilts his head and peers at Harry, making him uncomfortable. Not letting Harry answer, he continues, "Very well, I will give you candles, and you will accompany me later when I deliver the help to your land, you can pick up your things there."

"Thank you. May I ask about your plan concerning my kingdom?" Harry inquires. He needs to know what he traded his freedom for.

"You will see when we are there," Merlin smirks. By the look of him, he knows precisely how irritated Harry is by his answer. It takes quite a lot of effort for Harry to keep his mouth shut.

"Now, let me show you where the stable and the well are. Come with me!" Merlin stands up and starts walking toward the door, not caring whether Harry follows his instruction.

 

* * *

 

In the afternoon, Harry and Merlin are standing in the middle of the War Room at the Southvale Castle, a few chests at their feet. Around them stand king Arthur, his councillor, Valentine, a strange looking girl, Gazelle, who follows Valentine most of the time and all the knights of Kingsman. _It feels good to be home_ , Harry thinks, _even just for a few hours_. The only things that still keep Harry on guard are Merlin, Valentine and Gazelle, albeit for different reasons. Valentine and Gazelle make Harry's skin crawl every time he's anywhere near them.

"So, here is how you will win your little war," says Merlin. "Those," he points at the blue chests, "are potions to protect your soldiers from the curse. After drinking, their little brains won't turn to mush, and they won't join the mad horde."

Merlin walks over to the black chests and takes out a black sphere the size of an orange. "Inside spheres like this is a special explosive agent. Throw them at the enemies and they will burn anything they touch to ashes. I suggest your soldiers throwing these from higher grounds and not dropping them on themselves. The burn radius is large and there is enough here to burn through the horde."

Harry objects, "Many of those on the side of the mad army are humans! They are citizens of this kingdom! We can't just kill so many people so heartlessly!"

Merlin glares at him then scoffs. " _Were_. They were humans. Their minds and souls are gone, Galahad, all they do now is tear people apart." He then turns to Arthur and says with a scowl, "Take it or leave it, you asked for a way to defeat the horde and I upheld my end of the bargain."

The king sighs and nods. "So be it, I'd rather do this than watching more of my subjects being harmed. Thank you, Merlin."

Harry turns to Arthur, preparing to argue but is silenced by a look. The other knights also shake their head imploringly. Harry knows better than to start fighting right now but that does not mean he will act happy about it. "I am going to pack up my belongings," he grumbles while walking out of the room.  
 

* * *

 

"How could you?" Harry shouts right when they reappear at the Dark Palace; his belongings are still on his back.

"How could I what?" Merlin sounds genuinely confused for once.

"You calmly, coldly decided that all those people have to die a horrible death! Those are my people, some of them are my friends and subordinates! Have you no heart?"

"For God's sake, pull yourself together!" Merlin is irritated, he clearly doesn't want to deal with this. "There is no place for your emotions, this is war. Those aren't your people anymore, they aren't even people!"

"Is anyone people to you? It seems, in your opinion, we are all some kind of jokes, or worse, some annoying dirt on your boots. Do you even care about anyone, do you even have a heart, you bastard?" Harry yells, his face red.

"What does caring about anyone ever bring ye?" Merlin is almost shouting now, the accent in his voice thicker. "Yer country is a wreck, yer people malnourished, yer children orphaned! And here ye are, too weak to even do what is necessary and lead them out of ruination. The best thing I have done for them is to take a useless leader like ye away from them! Yer father asked ME for a way out, ye all know my reputation!"

"That was a mistake! I wanted my people saved, not purged. I did not sign up for this!" Harry says hotly. "One only takes a life to save others."

"So what are ye going to do? Ye break the contract, yer people suffer even more."

Harry stands there, speechless for a moment. Then, with anger boiling in him, he walks past Merlin to the door. "I want no part of this. I don't want to serve a loveless, heartless monster like you. Kill me if you want. Hang my corpse up at the gate to warn intruders, it would do just a good a job deterring them. If not, I am going to find my own way to save my people." Harry slams the door behind him, runs to the stable and takes one of Merlin's horses.

 

* * *

 

It is late at night when Harry arrives at a small village, he has been riding non-stop. He decides to stop at the tavern to rest and buy some food. Everyone in the crowded tavern turns to look at him as he walks in. He can't blame them for being wary of strangers; things must have been chaotic lately, even in Northridge, due to the crisis in Southvale. He sits down at a table that still has a free seat.

When he orders a drink and stew from the maid, the man next to him asks, "Ye not from 'round 'ere?"

"No, I came from Southvale, trying to find my way back there."

Another man comes over, slams his empty tankard down in front of him. "Ye southerners are nothing but troubles."

Harry feels the animosity coming from people in the tavern without understanding why. "Excuse me? What did we do to you? We have been suffering for the last five years!"

"Good question," a woman sneers, "What have ye done for us when our king and queen were murdered and the whole kingdom fell into disarray? You feasted and ye revelled and ye dinnae give a damn about us."

Harry wanted to argue. They didn't feast and revel. He was too young to remember why they didn't help Northridge but there must have been a reason. He feels irrationally upset about the accusations.

"Always thought they were high and mighty, and now when in trouble, they come over to us in droves, begging for help!" says another man, disgusted.

Harry feels a headache coming. He is also angry. How dare they speak to him like this about his people. He slams his hands on the table and stands up. "Are you looking for a fight?" he grits out.

"What if we are?" A man stands up, and then another, and another. Harry raises his fists and gets into a fighting stance. If the bastards want a fight, they get a fight. The man close to him strikes first, swinging his fist at his face. He dodges easily and counters with an uppercut. He feels the air rustles behind him and blindly turns to swing his elbow, which hits another man trying to attack him on his jaw. Harry feels a rage burning inside him, controls him, and drives him forward to beat up other people who are also trying to attack him; some of them even have weapons. He fights and fights and doesn't want to stop at all.

He is vaguely aware of a new presence appearing in the tavern, wearing black robes. The figure dodges a few attacks coming at him from the now hysterical people. The man tries to make his way toward him but his progress is severely hindered, not that Harry is faring any better.

At one point, there is a huge black cloud breaking out in the room, enveloping everyone and they all drop to the ground, save for Harry and the hooded man. Harry charges at him, trying to take him down in his rage. The man dodges his attacks while cursing out loud. "Fuck, you should have been knocked out as well. Fucking hell, stop!"

Harry can't stop even if he wants to, which he still doesn't. He picks up a knife from a nearby table and tries to slash at the man. Ropes appear out of thin air and bind him up tight from neck to toe and he drops to the floor, still trying to put up a fight. The man casts a whirl of smoke around them both.

 

* * *

 

Merlin arrives at one of the still relatively usable rooms in the Dark Palace with a frenzied Harry in tow. He has no idea what to do; Harry is still struggling and growling like a mad dog. His plan against the cursed army was to burn them, and he honestly doesn't feel like burning Harry. It would be weird to tell Arthur that his son is burned to death on his first day of servitude. Also, he didn't bring Harry here just to watch him die, no matter how much Harry's words hurt.

He throws Harry down on the bed and put some more charms on him to secure the man better before blinking over to his workroom. He had been experimenting with a lot of different potions to reverse the curse on the people of Southvale before deciding that the case was hopeless. There must be something he can use now, so he quickly reread all his notes on the matter. Harry was growling when Merlin deposited him in the room, which was the closest Merlin has ever come to an alive victim of whatever this is, as he only perfected the vaccine formula a few days ago. It feels like when someone has been turned into a werewolf without changing their shape. Maybe, if he adds some aconites into the base potion that he came up with, it will help calm the drinker down. He should throw in some moondew for good measure, that will certainly put Harry to sleep. A little bit of powdered bezoar, in case it is not a curse and is some form of poison instead.

Merlin sets his cauldrons up to start the brewing process. He knows he doesn't have a lot of time, Harry is getting more and more erratic and Merlin's binding charms are wearing off. If nothing is being done, by this time tomorrow, Harry will probably have lost his mind. Good thing he has quite a few bottles of base potions under stasis charm, ready to be altered.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, Merlin is back where Harry is being held. Harry attacks Merlin as soon as he sees him, catching Merlin off guard and tearing the robe off Merlin's left arm, drawing blood.

"Galahad, control yourself for a minute!"

Harry continues clawing at him and Merlin struggles to get the upper hand. Even when his brain is not in control, Harry's body is still a lethal fighting machine that has gone through rigorous training and it shows. With the help of sheer luck and quite a lot of magic, Merlin manages to pin him down on the bed, securing both his hands and legs.

"Galahad, Galahad! Listen to me! Harry!" Merlin pleads, "Harry, listen to me! Just drink this, it will make everything better! You will be better, I promise!"

He pours the potion into Harry's mouth and prays to all that is holy that it works. Not only will he be able to save this stubborn, self-righteous mule of a man but maybe some of the cursed people out there too.

Harry stops struggling; the rage slowly dissipates from his eyes. He becomes pliant and before long he is deep asleep.

Merlin, too tired to move and also wanting to monitor the situation, sags down on the armchair near the bed and sleeps as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! What happened back there? What will happen next? Find out in the upcoming chapters!  
> The potion ingredients were nicked right out of the Harry Potter world, so big thanks to JKRowling! Aconite is one of the most important ingredients of Wolfsbane, used to calm the drinker down. Moondew is the main ingredient of the Draught Of The Living Dead and of course, bezoars are for countering poisons ^.^  
> So, instead of saving our "beauty" from wolves, Merlin saved Harry from a bunch of crazed maniacs. Still pretty romantic, I'd have to say!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Harry got into troubles and Merlin had to carry his ass out. This is what happens next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, big thanks to anarchycox who is beta'ing this for me.

Harry slowly regains his consciousness. His head hurts like it was punched repeatedly until he was knocked out. His body aches too. It takes him a while to get used to the pain and open one eye. He is momentarily confused as it doesn't look like his room, then he remembers that he is not at home anymore. _Wait, this doesn't look like where I was yesterday, either_ , he realises. He opens his other eye and slowly sits up to look around. He notices Merlin sleeping in the armchair nearby. _Huh? What's he doing here?_  Events from the day before slowly come back to him.

 _Oh God, what have I done?_ Harry tries to stand up but a bout of dizziness hits and he falls back down to the bed. The sound wakes Merlin up from his sleep.

"Welcome back," he yawns then stands up and comes over to examine Harry.

"The people in the village, I killed them!" Harry says, distressedly, trying to grab Merlin's robe.

"Easy, easy, take a breath! You didn't, they are all unconscious right now. Some of them might have harmed themselves, but as far as I know, no casualties," Merlin attempts to calm Harry down while extracting himself from Harry's grip.

"I could not control myself!" Harry's voice is still shaking, his eyes wide, "I felt so much anger, I wanted to hurt those people!"

"It's over. You came back," Merlin says, uncomfortable, clearly not used to offering comfort. After a few seconds, what Merlin said hits Harry. _I came back? This curse was not supposed to be breakable!_

"How?" Harry asks in awe.

"I took a chance and brought you back here to try for a cure one more time. All my attempts before have been failures, so I didn't have much hope, but this time, I had an opportunity to get up close and personal with a victim. It helped that I managed to make the other potion a few days ago. Also, luck was on my side, a lot of luck," Merlin shrugs, as if he hasn't just achieved the impossible, then smirks at Harry, "I guess the Gods don't want you dead yet."

"Does this mean we can cure others too?" Harry asks with so much hope on his face, Merlin feels like it would be a crime to disappoint him.

"I can't be certain yet, but it does seem like there is a chance," he mumbles, not sure if it is the correct answer. What he hasn't foreseen is Harry practically jumping on him for a big hug.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for trying. You saved me, you saved my people!" Harry cries out in happiness, his voice breaks slightly. He is so overjoyed that he almost missed Merlin hissing in pain. Harry quickly pulls back and realises his right hand is wet with blood.

"Oh no, you are injured!" More memories of the night before come back to him and he gasps, "I hurt you."

"Just a flesh wound, nothing serious," Merlin waves Harry off, acting nonchalant.

"Please, let me see to it! You have done so much for me, this is the least I can do!"

"Galahad, honestly, I'm fine," Merlin sighs. _What is wrong with this goody-two-shoes? Can't he leave things be?_

"Just sit down here," Harry gestures toward the bed, "tell me where you store your bandages and medicine, I will fetch everything!" Merlin was about to tell Harry to drop it until he sees Harry's pleading eyes. _Bloody hell, are those human puppy-dog-eyes even for real?_ He sighs again, sits down on the bed and waves his right hand. Bandages, ointment, wash clothes and clean water appears on the bedside table.

Harry pulls the chair in front of Merlin and sits down. He looks up and smiles brightly, "Please remove your robe so I can check and clean your wounds."

 _What?_ "Galahad, I-"

"You called me Harry before," Harry grins, _the cheeky little fuck_. "Don't worry, I have cleaned up injured soldiers before, you are safe with me."

 _In for a penny_ , Merlin thinks and remove his robe while Harry lights up a few more candles around the room. He sits there awkwardly in his pants and shoes, waiting for Harry to start making fun of his horrible skin. _Might as well get this over with_.

Harry sits down and casts a sweeping glance over Merlin's torso and arms. Of course, he noticed the peculiar shade of greenish grey that is the primary colour of the scales on Merlin's skin, and various patches of other colours all over the wizard's body, some of them darker, some of them lighter. There are several ugly scars on Merlin's chest too. A gentleman does not remark upon another's look, however, no matter how strange it is. He focuses on the wounds instead. There are obvious cuts on Merlin's arm, although Harry wonders how his nails could have caused such injuries. _They must have transformed into something more dangerous_ , he muses. Along Merlin's ribs are several bruises, Harry hopes that the man's ribs are not broken. There is another cut on his left shoulder that Harry did not notice before. _And yet he took care of you and created the cure_.

"I'm sorry for causing all the troubles, and hurting you." Of all the things Merlin expected Harry to say, that was not one of them. He looks at Harry incredulously but the knight is busy wetting the washcloth and opening a bottle of ointment.

Harry starts cleaning Merlin slowly to get all the grime, dirt and dried blood off him. He tries to be gentle but Merlin is really jumpy, although he's not sure if it's from the pain or from the contact. When Harry picks up his injured arm to clean it, Merlin hisses out, his body coiled up like a cat ready to flee.

"Shh...shh...I'm not going to hurt you, you are fine," Harry coos as if talking to a child while still focusing on the arm. Apparently, he has forgotten who he is talking to and it makes Merlin uneasy. He has to find a way to re-establish their dynamic.

"I brought ye here to protect me, Galahad. I would have been fine if ye did yer job, but I ended up having to protect ye, didn't I?" Merlin's accent comes back without him noticing.

Instead of being annoyed or defiant, Harry doesn't say anything, just smiles sheepishly and throws Merlin off his guard. _Did anyone ever tell him that he'd be able to get anything out of people by charming them?_ Merlin bets the bastard knows it.

The two men continue their slightly uneasy silence while Harry moves onto the ointment. _I have made a huge mistake_ , Merlin thinks to himself, appalled, _should not have brought it here_. Harry pours the liquid on his hands and rubs them together to warm them up, then he puts them on the hurt shoulder. Well, attempt to put them on, as Merlin instinctively moves it out of the way.

"Hey, sit still!" Harry bosses, "I can't get you fixed up if you keep moving." He reaches his left hand out and put it on Merlin's right shoulder to secure him and starts rubbing lightly around the wound with his right hand. _I'm trapped_! Merlin closes his eyes and tries to think of anything but the hands on him.

Harry didn't know what to expect before he put his hands on Merlin, but his skin does not feel repulsive. It is tougher and colder than normal human skin but nothing disgusting or grotesque, at least in Harry's opinion. The scales don't even hurt his hand when he moves it backwards. _Interesting_. He is so concentrated on studying the skin that he didn't see Merlin starring at him. When he hears Merlin clears his throat, Harry almost jumps out of his skin. He mumbles an apology while looking down to hide his embarrassment. He starts working the oil more efficiently onto injured locations while trying hard not to notice Merlin's muscles underneath. _I don_ _'t recall it ever being this embarrassing_ , Harry thinks in dismay.

"Enough, patch it up quickly. I need to get to brewing the potions," Merlin forces the words out, trying to not let the shakiness in his voice be too obvious.

"R-right," Harry stammers slightly and reaches for the bandages. He starts with the arm as it is simple to wrap up. Harry does notice Merlin's long fingers and the black nails on them. _Get your head out of the gutters, Harry!_ He makes a point of finishing up bandaging both places without wasting any more of Merlin's time.

After Harry declares that he is done, Merlin stands up quickly and puts his robe on with his back turning toward Harry, not feeling like being judged any more than he already is. One good thing about his ghastly skin is that people can't recognise when he is flustered or embarrassed, which is very convenient in this situation. He waves his hand to change the dirty water to fresh water and resupply the bandages.

"Ye should see to yer wounds while I am away. Ye have no task as of now but be ready for when I am done, ye coming with me," Merlin says, still not facing Harry, then vanishes into thin air.

Harry stares at the space where Merlin just occupied for a few long seconds, then he smiles to himself and shakes his head. "Not even a 'thank you'. Well, you are welcome anyways."

* * *

 

The next hour passes by so slowly for Harry. He took the time to freshen himself up and see to his bruises but that didn't take long. Not wanting to get lost or do something that might piss Merlin off, he decides to just stay inside the room. He sees his bag of belongings lying at the end of the bed so he opens it and takes out a fresh set of clothes to change into. A gentleman should not offend people by being smelly.

He then pulls out a book about butterflies that he managed to bring along. It is his favourite book about his favourite things in the world so it was _absolutely necessary_ that he took it with him. He jumps on the bed with the book and starts reading. He knows every single page in this book backwards and forwards but it's still comforting to look at the drawings of butterflies. He can't remember where he got it from but he has loved it for as long as he can remember.

Talk about butterflies, _Merlin's skin looks like the wing of a butterfly too, all small scales and patches of colours, I suppose_. Not that he'd ever tell Merlin that, the man would probably get angry at him. _Get a grip on yourself, Harry. You are throwing yourself at the first man that shows you a modicum of decency who is not one the Kingsmen. The poor guy was horrified by your eagerness._

_...But he is really fit-_

_Shut up, brain._

Great, he's arguing with himself. It's only the third day.

* * *

 

It must be late afternoon when Merlin comes get him. Harry is hungry but the tasks beforehand seem important, food can wait. Merlin hands him a large box to carry, saying the antidotes are in there. Merlin himself is carrying another box of the protective potions which he insists that Harry also drinks one. After Harry is ready, Merlin waves his hands and transports them instantly to the village from last night.

Harry cringes as he takes in the havoc caused by last night's event inside the tavern. Furniture is smashed, food and God knows what are spilt everywhere, people lying all over the floor. _At least no one died_. Merlin puts his box on a counter that is still intact, gestures for Harry to hand over half of the antidotes and they start administering them to each victim from two opposite ends of the tavern. 

After they are done, Harry and Merlin stand to the side together and Merlin cancels his spell, waking everyone up. People slowly come about, sit up and finally, someone notices the two of them.

"Dark Wizard Merlin! What ye doing here?" One villager shouts, making others wince because of the loudness. "Ye must've been the bastard cursing us!"

Harry is dismayed by the accusation. Merlin just saved them all, and the first thing they do is to blame him? The Dark Wizard himself, however, doesn't even look perturbed. He just grins, showing his fangs while glaring at the villager. That shuts her up.

"Oh, I wouldn't be arsed to curse ye even if ye begged me to, ye eejit. But I saw ye needing some help and I can sell 'em to ye," he says casually, playing up the accent to mock the villager. He then points at the box on the counter and speaks without any trace of an accent, "Over there are potions that can prevent you idiots from going mad again, not that your brains are much better sane. Each of you can trade for a dose with your best product, be it food, clothes or whatever it is that you make. Children get it for free. Now, be quick, I don't have a lot of time!"

The villagers scatter with admirable speed and before long, barrels and carts of goods from the village are laid before Merlin and Harry and every person is given a dose. Some people look disgruntled but no one dares to speak up.

Merlin looks around to see if there is anything left to do. Satisfied with what he sees, he declares, "My job here is done, hope I will never have to see your faces again," waves his hand and brings himself, Harry and the goods back to the palace.

Harry stands right where Merlin left him for a minute, trying to stop the dizziness. It might take a while to get used to this mean of transportation. He looks around to see all the food lying on the table while cloths, barrels of ale and other things spreading out on the floor of the great hall.

"Hungry?" Merlin asks him, "Let's eat before we do something else, I see bread, cheese and ham here." He waves his hand and plates and cutlery appear on the table. "Dig in, no need to stand on ceremonies, I know you are famished."

Harry sits down near Merlin, cuts himself a few slices of cheese and break a piece of bread to put on his plate. He has forgotten how hungry he was until he started eating, now it feels like he can't stop. After a while, however, he has to or he'd start throwing up and that just won't do. He looks up to see Merlin gazing at him but the man looks away as their eyes meet.

To save them both the awkward silence, Harry asks, "Why did you make them pay for the antidote? You said that you have more money than you'd know what to do with it."

Merlin, still looking away, answers, "They all take one look at me and decide not to trust me. If I offer the antidote for free, they would think that I have some ulterior motives. I've learned, by making it a trade, it becomes fair and more trustworthy for them, as much as they'd like to complain."

"That...makes sense, I suppose." Harry muses. It actually makes a lot of sense, deep down, too. He wonders how many times has Merlin offered people help only to be rejected because he looks frightening. _No wonder why he is cantankerous and cynical_.

Merlin seems to sense where Harry's thought is going and decides to end it there. "I'm going up to my room. You are to clean up the dishes and store away the goods. Storage is next to the kitchen. I expect you to report back to me again at half an hour past five tomorrow. Do not be late."

"Understood," Harry answers, then pauses, "But where is the kitchen?"

"That," Merlin says as he starts walking away, "is for you to find out. You have candles now, don't you?"

_Still a rude bastard._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry, my boy, that was a lot of thirst.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we get some clues about how things were and how things will be.  
> Also a new-old character!  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank to anarchycox, again, for her great advice!

The first two weeks after the incident are a whirlwind of activities. After informing Southvale about the cure and telling them to postpone their deployment of the explosives, Merlin locks himself up in his workroom with more than ten cauldrons bubbling at the same time, anytime. Harry is tasked with bringing in crates upon crates of potion ingredients that are delivered to the castle to Merlin. They hardly see each other as Merlin told Harry to leave him alone to concentrate on his work. There are days when Merlin forgets to take multiple meals, neglecting the food Harry brought up. Harry is worried, but Merlin seems to ignore whatever he said. Sometimes, Harry thinks, Merlin even forgets that he is here. To that extent, Merlin either hasn't felt the strange feelings that transpired between them that fateful day or he has forgotten it. That makes Harry feel both a sense of relief and disappointment.

Not to be a man who idles around, Harry learns to do quite a few chores through trial and error. When he is not carrying ingredients, he goes on a self-assigned mission to clean up the castle. He has scrubbed the kitchen cleaner than it had probably been for many years. The hallways no longer smell like abandoned ruins. The horses absolutely love his attention and he can now pet them freely without worrying that they would attack him like in the beginning. All the works make him happy. Even though he is a prince, he doesn't turn his nose up at physical labour and the working class citizens.

After they have finished delivering the antidotes to Southvale, everything goes back to normal. Actually, better than normal. Merlin notices Harry coming from his shabby old room after a few days and asks why he wouldn't stay in the new room. He is genuinely taken aback when Harry tells him he doesn't want to assume that he can stay there for more than a night. Merlin just waves his hand dismissively and tells Harry to make himself at home in the new room. 

It's smooth sailing for them both from that point onwards. Merlin shows his face a bit more, even though he is still grouchy and sarcastic. He takes his meal with Harry in the great hall after a lot of nagging from Harry about eating properly. Sometimes he even sits and reads nearby as Harry busies himself with various tasks. They still don't talk much, but the silence between them is no longer awkward, more like companionable.

Something, however, has been bothering Harry. Despite being in a new, comfortable room, his sleep has been fitful. He keeps having a dream over and over again every night. In said dream, he is a little boy, running in the woods and meets another boy whose face he can't see. They talk about something but the words are all muffled. Something in Harry tells him it is _essential_ that he _remembers_ what was said. _Why must I remember? It is a dream, not a memory, isn't it?_ He tries to ignore the dreams by taking on more works during the day and starts training himself so he would get too tired at night to dream. So far, it hasn't worked.

 

* * *

 

Another month has gone by. The dream hasn't stopped, but Harry is used to it now. He can recall every single moment in it except for the face of the boy and what was said. He can even recognise the woods where the dream takes place. In fact, it is the woods surrounding the Southvale castle. He has spent many days riding through it, playing in it, maybe that's why the dream happens there. Maybe it's just his brain trying to find a sense of familiarity.

Things have been going well between him and Merlin, for the most part. He has convinced Merlin to let him scrub the majority of the Dark Palace clean and throw out all the broken, useless junk that have been cluttering the place. For someone so utterly brilliant, Merlin is awfully untidy and it drives Harry up the wall. Merlin just shrugs every time Harry brings it up, saying the mess doesn't bother him or get in the way of his work. That, and sometimes, the wizard is still a bloody cranky bastard. The last time Harry suggested that they should pull some curtains open to let the sunlight in, it might help Merlin to become less green, Merlin had a scowl on his face for more than half a day. _Well, nobody is perfect_ , he supposes.

Merlin's quirks don't abate Harry's attraction for the strange man. They don't stop Harry from noticing just how sinfully long Merlin's legs are. There are days when Merlin foregoes his dramatic robes and walks around wearing just a pair of tight pants and a tight woollen sweater that emphasise his well-defined chest. Those are the nights when Harry has to bring himself off silently in his room, hoping desperately that the infamous Dark Wizard doesn't have mind-reading skill or superhuman hearing. He even tried to fish out some fuzzy memories of how it felt when Merlin pinned him down. Usually, after he's spent, the feeling of unease creeps up on him. Even though it is not frowned upon for men in his kingdom to lay with each other, even living together, he knows that not everywhere is as open-minded as Southvale. Besides, the odd of Merlin liking men isn't very high; he doesn't seem interested in Harry for anything more than being a glorified servant. Harry sighs, certainly not his proudest moments.

 

* * *

 

One morning, while Harry is carrying water from the well to the stable to wash the horses, he hears a loud crashing noise coming from inside the palace. He runs inside to see what's going on and find Merlin holding up a boy up. The boy, about ten years old, is dangling above the ground, the only thing keeping him in place is the back of his shirt in Merlin's hand.

"Oi, let m' go!" the boy yells.

"Not if you don't tell me who you are, how did you get in here and why," Merlin's voice is as cold as ice.

"Fuck off, bruv. I ain't done nothin' wrong!" The boy tries to act tough.

"My, my, what a dirty mouth on such a wee lad. Tell me, laddie, is breaking into the Dark Palace and sneaking around 'nothing wrong'?" Merlin sneers.

"If y' want to kill me, go ahead, I'm not afraid!" The boy says while being obviously afraid. Merlin smiles secretly behind his back. _Brave lad_ , he will probably scare the boy off a little, give him a stern talking to later and let him go. Not every powerful man is kind to a little child breaking into their residence; it's better the boy learns his lesson when it's harmless. He has to keep up the scary appearance at first, however.

"Think carefully if that's what you wish, lad." Merlin brings the boy to Harry's old room, drops him on the bed, closes the door and leaves.

When he comes back to the great hall, Harry is still standing there, staring.

"What?" Merlin raises his eyebrow.

"He's just a child! Are you going to harm a child?" Harry looks horrified.

"Am I?" Merlin glares at Harry but inside, he is hurt. People jump to the worst conclusion whenever he is involved; even Harry does it. Too tired of having to explain himself over and over, he does what he always does: walking away.

"Wait! Merlin!" He hears Harry calling from behind him but he ignores it and continues going back to his room.

 

* * *

 

Eggsy is immediately alert as the door to the room opens and a man walks in. He holds the chair up in front of his chest as protection.

"Easy there, I am not going to hurt you," Harry raises both his hands up.

"You are with him, you can unlock the door," Eggsy accuses.

"The door was never locked, my boy, it's just an old door, always jammed. You are probably too weak to pull it open," Harry says.

The boy huffs but not saying anything else. Harry strolls over to the bed and sits down on one corner. He extends his right hand out to the boy, "My name is Harry. What is your name?"

The boy ignores Harry's friendly gesture,  which reminds him of the first time he introduced himself to Merlin. After a while, Harry sighs, "Listen, boy, I am trying to help you. Merlin's bark is worse than his bite, he's probably going to let you go. Help me convince him."

Somehow, the boy trusts Harry's words. He puts the chair down and sits on it. He looks around nervously then says, "My name's Eggsy. Gary Unwin, but everyone calls me Eggsy," he avoids Harry's eyes, "I was trying to steal-"

"Unwin? As in Lee Unwin?"

"You knew my Dad?" The boy sits straight up, his eyes brighten.

"Lee was my cousin. His father was my father's half-brother. He left court to find his own fortune and so that my father couldn't accuse him of wanting to contest for the throne. That was why he took the last name Unwin. When he died, Lee's mother brought him to us and he became a knight of the Kingsman. Lee passed away during a mission when I was eleven. I never knew he had a child."

"Yea... Mom said she wasn't high born. She was a maid to the Queen of Northridge. When they came to visit Southvale, she fell in love with Dad. She ran away few years later to be with him so he hid her and me. Then one day he never came back. I was two," Eggsy recounts while sniffling. He pulls up a pendant he is wearing around his neck to show Harry. "This all I have of Dad."

Harry walks closer to Eggsy and sits down in front of the boy. "The Kingsman pendant," He pulls up his own and shows it to Eggsy. "Now you have me too, nephew. I will try to help you as best I can."

Eggsy starts sobbing and lunges at Harry for a hug. _Poor boy_ , Harry thinks, _he's so small and thin. He must have suffered a lot_.

After Eggsy can breathe again, he tries to tell Harry quickly through his hiccups, "'m always so hungry. Mom has nothin' left. The war and the drought destroyed our field. Dean's so mean, he told Mom to marry him or he'd break my legs coz she can't pay him. Mom told me lots 'bout this castle 'n it is only a few hours away from home. Thought I could find some treasures. Didn't know the green man lives here," he pleads, "Please tell him don't hurt Mom."

Harry hugs the boy tight and rubs his back. "Sh...Don't worry, I will talk to him. You will be alright, Merlin won't hurt you." Eggsy nods while his face is still buried in Harry's shirt.

Suddenly, Eggsy's stomach growls and Harry laughs. "You are hungry, my boy. Let me get you something to eat, then I will talk to Merlin."

Eggsy, clearly touch-starved, hesitantly lets Harry move away from his embrace at the promise of food. "Please come back."

"I will," Harry smiles reassuringly before leaving the room.

 

* * *

 

After bringing food back to Eggsy and make sure the boy would not choke to death because he tries to swallow too fast and shove new food into his mouth, Harry leaves to find Merlin.

He knocks on the door of Merlin's usual workroom, hoping to find him there. He hears a sound from inside the room but Merlin doesn't come out, so he knocks again.

"What do you want?" Merlin asks sharply as the door is yanked open.

"I want to talk about Eggsy. The boy, I mean," Harry pleads.

"I won't kill him if that's what you are worried about. Now, go away!" Merlin snaps and slams the door. Harry reacts quickly and puts his foot in before it closes. He yelps in pain at the contact and Merlin's eyes widen.

"Ye eejit, what are ye doing?"

"I want to apologise," Harry says, the pain makes his eyes water but he still tries to hobble into the room. "Merlin, please. What I said was inconsiderate. I know you better than that and I trust you. I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings. It was idiotic of me."

Merlin's eyes soften. He pulls out a chair so Harry can drop himself on it, then picks out a vial from a nearby shelf and give it to Harry. "Rub it on your foot."

"Am I forgiven?" Harry asks hopefully.

Merlin sighs, he doesn't stand a chance. "Yes, ye menace."

Harry's little smile and his dimpled cheeks almost erase all the pain in Merlin's heart. Before getting entirely lost and making a fool out of himself, he clears his throat, "Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Actually, yes. I talked to him. Sit down, I'm going to tell you what I've learned." And Harry does just that, telling Merlin everything Eggsy told him and about them being blood-related.

"I want to help him, Merlin. I know I'm penniless right now, but if you can bring me back to Southvale,  even just for half an hour, I think I can scrape together something. We don't have much left, but anything is better than nothing."

After some thinking, Merlin just stands up and tell Harry to meet him in the great hall after taking care of his injured foot. Harry has no idea what the other man is going to do but he has full faith in him.

 

* * *

 

Merlin is waiting when Harry finally shows up. He tells Harry to fetch Eggsy, as the boy trusts him. Merlin can't help but smiles inwardly when he sees the boy hiding timidly behind Harry's back. So much for his earlier bravado.

"Come here, boy." When he sees Eggsy's hesitation, he assures, "I am not going to hurt you or your mother, I just want to ask you a few things." Harry squeezes Eggsy's shoulder and pushes him gently forward.

As the small boy approaches, Merlin squats down so that they can look each other in the eye. "How old are you, Eggsy?"

"Thirteen, sir," Eggsy says, meekly.

Eggsy is awfully small for thirteen, Merlin thinks. Reminded of his own wretched childhood, he feels a sense of protectiveness for the lad. "You said that your mother knows this palace well, what's her name?" When he sees the panic on Eggsy's face, he quickly adds, "I promise, no harm will come to her."

"Michelle, sir. She served the queen 'n the little prince. Mom's still sad when she talks 'bout them. She wishes she coulda hidden the prince from the evil witch! They all dead now, sir. I didn't know you live here, I swear!"

Michelle, of course. He remembers kind-hearted Michelle sneaking him sweets when his father forbade him to eat too many. _So, she is alive, at least someone avoided that tragic day_.

He comes up with an idea. "Eggsy, would you like to strike a deal?"

Eggsy tilts his head curiously, "What kind of deal?"

"I am going to help your mother pay her debt. In exchange, you are to stay here three days a week and be our squire." Harry looks surprised, but when Merlin cocks his head to see if he wants to object, Harry signals him to continue.

 "You will learn how to read, write properly and to be a knight like Harry, and you will have to try your best. I don't tolerate laziness. I will provide you with food clothes and pocket money, both here and to bring home."

"D' you mean it?" Eggsy is beside himself and looks at Merlin as if he's the single greatest thing the lad has ever seen. Merlin nods. "Nothing else? You don't want to hit me or tell me to work my arse off to repay?"

"Why would I want to hit you?" When Eggsy looks down and shrugs as if it's a normal thing, Merlin seethes silently, he has half a mind to just blink directly to the adults that abused this child and teach them a lesson. He suppresses his anger, however. Eggsy doesn't deserve to be at the receiving end of his wrath. "I expect you to apply yourself to the tasks given to you and I demand respect. If there is something you are not comfortable doing, something you are worried about, you tell us. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good," Merlin nods,  "I am sending you back to your mother. Make sure to be here two days from now. Oh, and lad?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Prepare to explain to her where all the treasures come from, she must be in a fright, right about now." Merlin grins before he waves his hand and magics Eggsy home.

After Eggsy disappears in a cloud of smoke, Merlin stands up, feeling strangely happy. It has been a long time since someone simply accepts his help and is grateful for it. It is even better that he can help someone from his almost forgotten past and connects with the child in him. He indulges in the feeling a little before pushing it back to the furthest corner of his consciousness. Reminiscing too much about the old time would always end up devastating him all over again.

While being lost in his thought, Merlin hasn't been noticing Harry walking over and standing right in front of him. "What-", he is interrupted by Harry pulling him into a tight hug.

"You are a much better man than I expected when I decided to go with you," Harry murmurs, "And I'm glad."

Merlin still stands rooted to the spot long after Harry left the room. _Fuck, should have hugged him back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at them being all happy. Will it be all fluffy from now on? I can't assure you anything. *giggle*


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery is finally being (slowly) revealed. Some more private relationship development between our boy Eggsy is here again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys, I'm back! Also big thanks to anarchycox again for beta-ing <3

Harry, or the young version of himself, he realises, is back in the same forest again, running past the same trees again. Although, this time, he knows it's a dream and lets it play out, wanting to uncover once and for all the identity of his mysterious friend. He strolls over to the small, familiar creek decorated with vibrant flowers and lively butterflies, where he has seen his enigmatic boy sitting on a mossy rock nearby countless times before.

When he comes closer, the boy materialises out of the shadow, as if an artist has finally decided to colour him in to complete the perfect painting. He doesn't see Harry just yet, still too fascinated by the beautiful butterflies glittering under the golden rays of sunlight. 

Harry says hello to get the boy's attention. He turns around and offers up a radiant smile when he sees Harry.

"Hello, are ye from around here?" The black-haired boy stands up and comes over to Harry, still smiling. As he approaches, Harry realises that the boy looks older and is a lot taller than he is. He doesn't let that scare him, of course. He was taught that the prince of Southvale shouldn't even fear a full-sized human, let alone a small one. Moreover, the boy seems to be gentle and friendly.

"Yes, I'm the prince of Southvale. The castle and this forest belong to my father." 

The boy tilts his head curiously but doesn't cower the way others do when they hear what Harry is. "Ye are lucky, it's nae very sunny where I come from."

"Where do you come from? The way you talk is slightly... unusual."

The boy laughs, "My accent is nothing comparing to others in Northridge. My family rules the northern land, but I have to learn not to speak in dialect, it's nae very noble, they said. And it's beautiful in up there, mind ye, but I love the sun, and we don't get many beautiful sunny days such as this there."

"Wait, you are the prince of Northridge? I didn't see you at last night's feast!" Harry asks, astonished.

The boy casts his eyes down at his feet and fidgets, slightly embarrassed. "I was too engrossed in a book. Before I knew it, dinnertime was over. Father and mother have long given up on trying to get me away from reading." Realising that Harry doesn't intend to laugh at him, he looks up, the smile returning to his face, "I'm Ninian, by the way."

Harry nods, "I'm Harry." 

"Well hello, Harry, it is nice to meet ye. Come sit down with me, the view over there is gorgeous."

Harry follows Ninian over to the rocks and sits down on the one next to his. He likes the boy, his easy-going manner makes Harry feel at ease and he's also cute, his hazel eyes add another exciting shade of greenish-grey to the whole picture. 

They talk about the forest, Harry recounting the memories he has with the trees, the water and the animals here. Ninian tells him about the places in Northridge that he has been to with his father, all the interesting things he learned along the way. Harry discovers how smart and knowledgeable Ninian is, at least to his young, impressionable mind. He knows all the things Harry never even heard about.

The scenes blend together, the time of day and the clothes on the boys change every few seconds but at the centre of it all, the two of them  are together, playing , laughing and t alking about all kinds of matters in the world.

Then, suddenly, the changing scenes stop, and things get into focus again. This time, they are standing close together, both of them looking forlorn. 

Ninian puts his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye, Harry, we have to leave in a few hours. I thank ye for being so nice to me." He smiles, but his eyes betray his sadness.

"You are the best friend I've ever had! We will meet again!" Harry assures, trying to be strong, "I will make sure of it!"

Ninian tries to lighten up the mood as well, "Maybe the next time we meet, I'll be a real scholar. I will be wise enough to answer all yer questions and tell ye all the great tales of heroes from faraway kingdoms!"

"And I'll be a knight, may be I'll be even taller than you! We can go on adventures together, saving innocent people, discovering forgotten knowledge. I will protect you from danger, be it humans or beasts!" Harry suggests enthusiastically, waving his arms around as if he is fighting an invisible enemy. 

"Will ye?"

"I promise!" 

"I look forward to the day we meet again!" Then, Ninian pauses and pulls out a book from his satchel to hand it to Harry. "Please accept this as a gift to remember me by. Ye seem to love the butterflies here as much as I do, this book will probably be useful for ye." 

Harry hugs Ninian and the other boy hugs him back tightly. One day, they'd be together once more, they just know it.

 

* * *

 

Harry's dream ends abruptly and he is jolted awake. He sits up quickly but everything, especially his head, hurts like he was beaten up black and blue just before going to sleep. He hunches forward and drops his face onto his hands, shaking as he struggles hard not to break down. He tries breathing in and out deeply to compose himself and get his thoughts in order.

Of course, it was him. His first real friend, his first heartbreak. It dawned on him why he couldn't see the face of the boy in the dream for so long.

The years after they parted, Harry devoted himself to his training. He completed any trial and task given to him and asked for more. He studied every scroll that was handed to him without once complaining. He was to be a knight, the greatest knight in both the northern and southern kingdom. He would make his friend proud. When he had time, he went back to the forest, chasing butterflies and studying them with the help of the book, they made him happy.

About more than one year into his training, something terrible happened. The people in court looked worried, agitated or were just straight out frightened. He was too young to be allowed inside and attend the meetings. When he managed to pull someone aside to ask what was happening, no one gave him an answer, just assuring him that there was nothing to worry about and he was safe. He didn't feel safe, something was wrong, but when he brought the matter up with his mother, she just hugged him tight and told him that he could have his favourite sweets. Then, the next day, his father declared that he was ready to undertake more training. He no longer had time and energy to pay attention to anything else.

Two years later, when Harry was twelve, he finally learned what happened after overhearing some lords talking to each other of the great tragedy befalling Northridge, killing the king, the queen, their only son and everyone else in the castle. He couldn't bear to hear another word, the world collapsing around him. He ran back to his room and locked himself inside, sobbing his heart out. He cried for days, not knowing what else to do to lessen the horrible pain that plagued him every moment, even in his sleep. His best friend was murdered, his dream shattered and his promise broken. He couldn't protect the one person he pledged to keep safe.

After a week, when it was clear to Arthur that Harry wouldn't stop being depressed, still only staying in his room and weeping, he wanted an intervention. Grand Chancellor Valentine was given the task of getting the prince back out on the training ground instead of moping around. Valentine went to Harry and told him that he knew of a way that could help Harry feel better, all he needed to do was drinking a sip of potion.

Harry could no longer recall anything relating to Ninian after that.

He clutches his chest, the pain still intense. It's been a decade, why now? Harry wonders. It feels  like a lifetime  has passed, the innocent little boy has now grown into a man, spending year after year fighting from battle to battle, watching helplessly as innocent people, friends, brothers in arms fell one by one. Yet, somehow, the pain of losing someone that he didn't remember anything about just yesterday seems more harrowing and raw, as if someone scratched open a deep wound that was just mended.

He allows himself to lament over the lost friend and his own long gone innocence. After a while, having no more tears left, he stands up and starts getting ready for a new day. Life waits for no one.

 

* * *

 

"Harry? Harry!" Merlin calls, looking mildly irritated. That obviously was not his first attempt to get Harry's attention. "What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry. Didn't sleep very well last night."

Merlin's expression quickly turns to concern, his eyebrows furrow. "Does this happen often?"

"Oh, no, it's not from the... Uh... Transformation? Just a terribly sad memory coming back to me."

Merlin snorts, "You? Sad? I thought you were too busy being a self-righteous goody-two-shoes to be sad." From the tone, Harry knows Merlin's not serious, mostly just trying to get a rise out of him. The old, actually-self-righteous Harry from a few months ago would have fallen for that, hook, line and sinker. The Harry now just rolls his eye disapprovingly and makes sure Merlin sees it.

"When do you think the lad is arriving?" Merlin wonders after a pause.

"Give him some time, his mother probably doesn't want to let him go too early in the morning," Harry continues dusting the table and chairs in the Great Hall. "Besides, I'm not done cleaning this place up."

Merlin looks around the big room then shrugs, "It's clean enough for me."

Harry sighs exasperatedly, "For you, maybe. I'm also living here and I don't enjoy inhaling dust every day for the rest of my life. Furthermore, it's bad for Eggsy. He's young and still growing and-"

"Alright, you've made your point, Your Highness . " Merlin bows sarcastically. "Do what you want."

"Does that mean I can open the curtains as well?"

"Aye- What? No!"

"Oh, come on, just in here. I promise I'll leave your dark, evil lair alone!"

"My room is  nae an evil lair!" Merlin argues. When he sees Harry grinning, he realises that he fell right for it. Sighning in defeat, he asks, "Why do you want to open the curtains?"

Harry gives Merlin an is it not obvious? look, "You have a beautiful place here, with great paintings and sculptures, and the window frames are exquisite. Yet, you hide them all away in the shadow. Also, the view outside is great, I know because I've been out there more than you in the last month. It's spring, Merlin! Don't you want to look at something other than those bleak curtains?"

"I don't enjoy being in the light very much," Merlin mumurs, looking apprehensive.

Seeing how uncomfortable Merlin is with the idea, Harry suggests, "How about a compromise? I'll just open those two curtains on the far side of the room, over there, and leave the rest closed. That way, everything will be illuminated a little better, you can look out when you want and there's still enough darkness on this side for you to lurk in?" He turns back to dusting and leaves Merlin to think about it.

"Fine, but if I don't like it, we close them again." Merlin decides after a while.

"That's all I ask for ! " Harry looks as pleased as a cat that got the cream.

Merlin hums noncommittally and gets back to writing down ideas for his next potion. If anyone asks, he'd never admit to spending more time in the common area and bringing his work out here instead of staying in his study, where he has all the supplies he needs, so that he can be around a particular person. For the moment, however, he is not paying attention to what Harry is doing. At least, not until he hears the sound of something being dragged in. Merlin looks up at Harry who is carrying a ladder that Merlin doesn't even remember having.

"Just what the hell are ye doing?"

"Letting the light in, obviously." Harry sets the ladder up against the wall and climbs up, "I need it to get up here. You nailed the bloody curtains down, you insane Lord of Darkness."

"Careful there, Sir Galahad. You have no idea how insane this Dark Lord really is" Merlin stands up and walks closer, waving his hands, pretend to look dangerous, "I can turn you into a snail."

"Oh no! You've got me shaking in fear!" Harry draws while trying to pull a nail out. Because he isn't paying a lot of attention to an otherwise easy task, he applies a little too much force on an already loose nail and loses his footing on the ladder.

"Fuck!" Harry shouts as he falls. He braces himself for the impact, expecting a loud crash and a lot of pain. Instead, he lands on something solid but also soft and warm. As his mind comes back from crisis mode, he realises that the something, or someone, to be precise, is Merlin. The self-proclaimed Dark Lord has moved, quick as lightning, to where he anticipated the fall would be and catches him cleanly, bridal style.

For the next minute, or hour, as neither of them is really sure, time freezes. Harry looks up at the face of his once-again-saviour at the same time Merlin looks down at the handsome man that has just literally fell into his arms, both speechless. Unfortunately, the small ray of light that made its way through the newly revealed section of the window lands on Merlin's face and startles him, pulling him out of his reverie. He quickly chances another look down on Harry, afraid that he might never get another opportunity to see him so open, up close and somewhat in awe like this. He pretends for a moment that this is how Harry actually sees him and not just the dazed gaze of a man who is probably still in a bit of shock.

Merlin bows a little, slowly and somewhat tenderly to let Harry back down on his feet. It takes Harry a couple of seconds more after standing up to fully pull himself out of his trance. He realises how much of a fool he must have looked and blushed slightly. What am I, a damsel in distress? 

"R-right," Harry clears his throat, "Thanks for that."

"It's fine," Merlin replies, seeming very interested in the hem of his own waistcoat for some reason, "Just be more careful next time."

Harry waits for something more, but when nothing else was said, he clears his throat again. "Alright. I'll be back to work then. Thank you." Then he turns around and puts some distance between them, wondering what in the name of all the Gods just happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, this is where I earn my M rating. Although, don't let it distract you from the fact that there are still some important plot points in this chapter :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have edited the previous chapters a little so that the events in this chapter don't appear contrived. I will note in the endnotes what I have done so you don't get spoiled. 
> 
> Huge thanks to anarchycox again for beta'ing this!

_Harry is in the Great Hall. He recalls faintly that something is wrong, that it is somehow too dark in here. And he is wearing armour. He hasn't even worn chainmail in quite a while, he thought._

_Suddenly, someone materialises behind him and pushes him forward. "Walk," the hooded stranger says. Harry turns around to see who that is. "Merlin?" He asks._

_"Ye talk too much." It's definitely Merlin._

_"What the hell, Merlin? You know I am not scared of your antics."_

_"Well, ye should be." Merlin walks directly to him, invading his personal space, his eyes gleam under the hood, almost feral, his teeth bared. He doesn't stop when his body touches Harry's, continuing to walk forward, causing Harry to back off. The more space Harry surrenders, the more Merlin_ advances, _until the large table behind Harry hinders his movement._

_"Merlin, what are you doing?"_

_Merlin tilts his head, staring at Harry's face, unblinking. "Look at all this armour ye wear," Merlin runs his hand up the front of Harry's breastplate, slowly, only stopping at the strap on his left shoulder. "It can't save yer arse if I want to hurt ye."_

_Suddenly, the steel on his body vanishes, leaving Harry only in his white tunic and grey breeches. Merlin grins, looking positively sinister. His hand runs up from Harry's shoulder to the side of his neck, rubbing lightly._

_"And I can hurt ye easily, can't I?" Merlin continues while playing with the hair at the nape of Harry's neck. Harry gulps. He should be afraid, he really should. Merlin is a notoriously powerful wizard. And yet, all he feels is a wave of arousal hitting him head-on. He bares his neck, giving Merlin's hand more freedom to roam while leaning his whole body closer. "Please," Harry breathes out. He doesn't even know what he's asking for, but he wants it._

_"Tsk, tsk. Ye just asking for it, huh?" The nails scratch his nape lightly and he almost purrs as a result, catching himself at the very last moment. The other hand comes up to rest at his waist and pulls him flush against the man's body, which shows obvious interest in him. "Whatever shall I do to ye?" Merlin whispers next to Harry's ear, making him shiver._

_"Anything. Please."_

_"Anything? Be careful what ye wish for." Merlin still whispers, nuzzling his nose at Harry's neck._

_"Just touch me. More."_

_The hand at his waist makes its way to the back, roaming over his rear, kneading. Then, suddenly, his hip is pulled flush against Merlin's. Harry groans audibly._

_"Like this?" Harry can hear the grin even when he can't see it. The smug bastard. Well, he can be as smug as he wants, as long as his hands keep doing the marvellous things they are doing._

_"Anything else ye want?" Merlin asks._

_"Can I … Can I touch you?"_

_"Can ye?"_

_Groaning out in frustration, Harry grabs Merlin's behind with one hand while trying to find an opening at the front of Merlin's robe to sneak his other hand inside. He can hear Merlin snorting at his effort. "Come on, help me!" he whines and rubs himself against Merlin for good measure._

_"Ye want my help?" Harry nods and Merlin looks gleeful. "Then kneel down like a good boy."_

_Harry doesn't know what comes over him at that moment, but he actually obeys without even a moment of hesitation._

_Merlin looks surprised, then he chuckles. "Look at ye. Desperate for cock, aren't ye?"_

_Harry doesn't say anything, just looks up and waits patiently for Merlin to hold up his end of the bargain. Merlin shakes his head, still chuckling slightly. "Right, yer reward." He snaps his fingers and the robe disappears, leaving him also in just his leather trousers and Harry's favourite tight-fitting wool shirt. His mouth waters._

_"Stop staring and get to work," Merlin orders._

_Harry hastily moves closer to get his hands on the fastening of the offending garment, trying to open it as fast as possible. Finally, he will get to make acquaintance with a part of Merlin he has been fantasising a lot about..._

  

Harry wakes up with a start. He stares at the ceiling for a few seconds wondering where the hell he is. When it finally comes to him that he has been alone in his bedroom, sleeping, and all that was just a dream, he groans out loud. _What a fucking time to wake up_ , he thinks, especially now that he has some _pressing_ matter that needs taking care of. At this point, Harry is not even ashamed that he has this these kinds of dreams over his, theoretical master anymore. He has accepted his physical attraction to Merlin and actively indulges himself in it every few nights. As long as Harry acts normal toward Merlin during the daytime, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. It's not as if Merlin can read his mind, and Harry is pretty sure he can't because Harry _checked_. 

He sneaks his right hand under the blanket and starts applying pressure on himself over his trousers. He closes his eyes and imagines himself back into the dream, getting to his prize. He can't keep his imagination on what Merlin's cock looks like consistent. Sometimes it's the same colour and texture as the skin on Merlin's body that Harry managed to feel. Sometimes it looks and feels like from a normal, everyday person. Harry doesn't fucking care, to be honest. At this point, he'd probably still get turned on even if it's bright pink. As he imagines kissing up and down Merlin's member with open mouth, he pushes his hand past the waistband of his own trousers to finally touch his own. He moans out Merlin's name and hopes the wizard doesn't actually hear it somehow. Or maybe he should, and then he should just come here and put Harry out of his misery, one way or another.  

When Harry's fantasy moves on to Merlin pulling him up, bending him over the table and having his wicked way with Harry, his other hand moves to circle his entrance too, but before he can even go further, he has already reached his peak, almost too intensely.  

"Fuck," he curses out loud after a while, when he finally manages to breathe evenly again. "Merlin, do you even know how bad you are for my sleep schedule?" 

Not someone who enjoys sleeping in soaked and sticky trousers, Harry stands up and fetch a new pair to change into, using the old one to clean himself up and then throwing it into the pile of dirty clothes that need laundering tomorrow. "I bet you are sleeping soundly on your arse, you prick." 

Feeling too awake to go back to sleep, Harry decides to get out of his room and go for a short walk instead. The night air will probably clear his thoughts and help him sleep better later. 

  

* * *

 

The fresh night air does indeed make Harry feel better, so does the beautiful starry night. He gazes up at the sky and wonders what his family is doing. How is dear old Dad, how has Percival improved his swordsmanship and if Lancelot still makes fun of him. Harry wishes he has a way to tell them not to worry about him, Merlin treats him well and he is just fine. Well, mostly fine, other than his massive one-sided attraction to the man. Lancelot would laugh his arse off if he knew about this. "Galahad, you fall for every bloke with long legs and firm behind", he would say and Harry would remind him to remember his rank. He smiles at the thought. Maybe he'll ask Merlin to let him visit Southvale for a few days sometimes. He wants to see how the land is getting on after so many years of war as well. 

As he is about to make his way inside, he hears a loud crash coming from the left side of the castle. He identifies the West Wing, where Merlin's private quarters are. Merlin must be in danger, Harry thinks and runs toward that direction. As Harry recalls, it is forbidden that he goes there, but then again, he is Merlin's bodyguard first and foremost and ensuring Merlin's safety is his number one priority. Merlin can be mad about it later. He picks up a sword from a suit of armour on display before he continues running, hoping that it would not fare too badly against the enemy.  

When he arrives at the West Wing, he sees many things scattered all over the floor, things that should be on one of the tables or shelves instead, including some candles. One of them is still burning weakly in the corner and he carefully picks it up before the whole room is engulfed in flame. He picks up the other candles up as well, putting them back on the candelabra and lighting them up. 

"Merlin?" He calls out. There's no reply. "Merlin! Where are you? Are you hurt?" He asks again, louder. Harry doesn't like this, so he threatens into thin air, "If you are not Merlin and you are trying to harm him, come out here and fight me first, coward! If you make me look for you, I won't feel generous later!" 

He is, once again, greeted with silence and that worries him. Lightsource in his left hand, sword in his right, he makes his way deeper inside, to where he assumes Merlin's bedroom is. 

Before Harry reaches the closed door to the room, the painting on the wall catches his eyes. Some of them are torn off, but the tearing marks look new. He pushes a displaced piece of canvas back in place with the tip of his sword. 

"What the-? That's not possible!" It's the portrait of his childhood friend, Ninian with his parents, the king and queen of Northridge, standing in the garden outside. The boy in the painting looks just like how Harry remembers him. Harry frowns, he didn't realise that this was once the actual residence of Northridge's royal family. No wonder why Eggsy chose this place to burgle. How the hell did Merlin end up living here, Harry will have to ask him that once he finds him. 

Harry pushes the door open, sword at the ready, and sweep his eyes around the room. He sees no sign of struggle in here; everything is where it should be. However, there's a figure sitting on the bed with his back turning toward Harry's position, his head bowing low. 

"Merlin?" 

"Go away, Harry." 

"Are you alright, there were loud noises-" 

"I said go away, Harry! Ye aren't sup-" Merlin shouts, but his voice cracks halfway, "supposed to be here!" 

Harry has never been obedient, not as a son, not as a knight, so Merlin's command is just another one in the list of things he ignores. He walks over to Merlin and sit down next to him. 

"Merlin, what's wrong? Are you hurt? How can I help?" 

"Unless ye can break a curse that even I can't, naw," Merlin laughs bitterly. 

"What curse? Did someone manage to break in? I can still catch them-" Harry stands up quickly and gets ready to pursuit, but Merlin just shakes his head dismissively while still starring at the floor. Harry sighs, paces around, looking for something to make Merlin feel better. He pauses at the bureau, his attention captured by some small, framed paintings hung lovingly above it. They are all of the Northridge royal family, with Ninian at various ages. _Merlin wouldn't want to have paintings of someone else hung in his bedroom, unless..._ Harry's eyes widen, he turns around abruptly and runs back to Merlin's side. 

"It's you!" 

"Huh?" Merlin, confused, finally looking up at Harry. 

Harry sits down quickly next to Merlin, puts his hands on both sides of Merlin's shoulders and turns him fully to Harry's side. "Ninian!" 

Merlin just sits there and stares blankly at Harry with his mouth slightly agape. Just as Harry is about to tell him "forget it, my mistake," Merlin blinks quickly, swallows and breathes out quietly, as if he is afraid that this is somehow a trick, "Ye remember me?" 

Harry grabs Merlin and pulls him into a tight hug as tears start welling up in his eyes. "You're alive. Thank the Gods you're alive." 

Merlin hugs back tightly while crying audibly, sobs wracking his body, robbing him of his ability to form coherent words. He buries his face onto Harry's shoulder while his fingers fists at Harry's shirt, scared that this is all a dream and he'd wake up alone again. Harry tries to soothe Merlin, but, as he himself can't control his emotions either, it seems to be a futile endeavour.  

"No one- No one's called me that in years," Merlin whispers after a while and Harry just hugs him tighter.  

"Shh... I am here now. I found you." 

"When did ye remember?" 

"Last week. The night before we, er-" Harry clears his throat, suddenly aware how tight he and Merlin are clinging onto each other. He refuses to let go, however. Whatever his uncomfortable attraction to Merlin is, this is his best friend Ninian, who he thought was dead, and he's holding on for as long as he can, just in case Ninian vanishes again, like in Harry's dreams after he learned of the news, many years ago. 

Merlin pulls back and puts some distance between them, much to Harry's disappointment, and rubs his eyes. "I've given up hope, ye know. I tried so long to figure out what happened, but, it was like, for ye, I never existed."  

Before Harry can say anything, Merlin continue. His voice is even, but Harry can hear him struggling to keep his emotion away from the surface. "I faked my own death. At first, it was to deceive the killer into thinking I perished along with my parents. Then, it was so I could run away from this place and all the people trying to rip it apart for loots. They went insane with greed even before the corpses got cold." Harry could hear the icy hatred seeping through the carefully controlled voice of Merlin, "Took me a few years to master surviving and not getting noticed, what with this beastly look and all. I sent ye messages without replies, so I made my way to Southvale to find ye. I thought if I could just talk to ye, ye'd help me. I got close enough and shouted out yer name, but ye ignored me and just walked away. Then I got thrown out once they saw my face." 

Harry cringes, hard. He can't recall the incident, but it is highly possible he did that. He was always focused on fighting, battles and strategies and sometimes he ignored everyone else entirely. And that's not counting the potion... 

"Ninian, Ninian, listen to me," Harry pleads, "I unknowingly drank a potion that made me forget everything about you. I swear. I would never break our promise like that." 

Merlin remains silent, his eyes still downcast and he doesn't seem heartened by Harry's words so Harry hastily adds, "Ninian, please. They gave me the potion because I didn't stop crying over you when I heard you were killed." He lifts Merlin's face up gently by the chin so the other man would look at him. "It's the truth. I would never have abandoned you otherwise." 

Merlin sighs and nods, "Not that blaming ye would change anything. Ye didn't kill my parents." 

"Who did?" 

"A sorceress named Poppy. I don't know why. She came in and tried to kill everyone in the castle that day, then left without getting anything from the treasury, didn't go for the throne, either. As a matter of fact, I think it's cursed. Anyone who ever plotted to become king died soon after." 

"How did you survive?" It doesn't matter that the event happened a decade ago and his friend is now sitting right here, Harry is still worried about Ninian. 

"I should have been dead, all things considered. Both my father and mother shielded me from the majority of the curse and I had blessings from my fairy godmother, which kept me alive. Although, I didn't escape unscathed," Merlin gestures at his face and body while snorting self-deprecatingly. 

"It's a curse then? The thing that made you look like this?" 

"Aye. I think." 

"Did you try breaking it?" 

Merlin rolls his eyes at the question, "Oh, I dinnae, Harry! Have I tried breaking it? Why haven't I thought of it? Brilliant idea! Why the hell did I become a sorcerer only for ye to find out the answer!" 

"Hey! No need to be rude, I'm only trying to help!" 

Merlin lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Aye, Harry. I tried so many. In the first year, I learned magic from my fairy godmother, who hid me. It was not enough, she was just a minor fairy who lived as a poor healer amongst humans, so I travelled and learned from anyone I could, went anywhere there was a rumour of a curse breaker. Nothing worked." 

"And you brought me here to fulfil my promise?" 

Merlin pauses to consider his answer carefully, then nod, "Aye, even if ye don't remember me, I know who ye were before, so ye are a better choice than most. The fighting skill doesn't hurt either." 

"Good." 

"Huh?" 

"Good that you brought me here. Now that I remember, I will protect you no matter what. Anywhere you need to go to find the cure, I will go with you. Anyone who insults you will answer to me." 

"Harry-" 

"I mean, I was going to serve you anyway, that was the deal. Now that I remember our promise, I will just have to protect you even better," Harry smiles sincerely and makes Merlin's heart constrict. "No one will be able to hurt you this time." 

"Up until now, it's me who's protecting you." Harry blushes at Merlin's words and it makes Merlin even more smitten with him.

Luckily, Harry clears his throat and changes the subject, "You know," he hesitates, a curious look on his eyes that makes Merlin think that he might not be so lucky, after all, "People say that True Love's Kiss can break many curses." 

Merlin actually laughs out loud but it's more acerbic than genuine, "Look at me, Harry. Women run away screaming when they see my face. Who on earth will fall in love with me for True Love's Kiss?" 

 _Shame_ , Harry thinks, _I've only ever heard about True Love's Kisses between men and women, else I would have kissed you until it's True Love. Or until you turn me into a toad for taking liberty._ He doesn't say that, of course, opting for a joke instead, "Oh the great Wizard Merlin, there is something you can't do, after all," and get hit in the face with a pillow while Merlin laughs. _At least he's actually laughing now._  

"So, do you want me to call you Ninian or Merlin?" Harry asks. 

"Merlin, please. I don't want to attract more unwanted attention. Poppy is still out there somewhere. Moreover, I've gained a reputation with this name through my own accomplishments, I've learnt to love it." 

"Merlin it is then! Well, I'll leave you to sleep, Merlin, it's way past bed time and Eggsy's back tomorrow. We need full energy to deal with that boy!" 

Merlin smiles and waves Harry off. He waits until Harry is out of the room to drop his smile and close his eyes tiredly. Harry didn't notice that Merlin has just failed another attempt at curing himself. He has also managed to hide from Harry that he's wasting away more and more each day, that the reason he gave in and brought Harry here was so he would be able to see his only friend's face when he takes his last breath. Harry only thinks that the curse solely affects his appearance.

Maybe it's better this way.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hide away* I'm soooo sorry. But please don't blame me, blame Beauty And The Beast! 
> 
> Also, what I have added in the previous chapters are:  
> Chapter 1: Merlin looks at Harry strangely when he first brings him to the castle.  
> Chapter 2: Merlin's determinism to save Harry is expressed more clearly and also he is hurt by Harry's insult.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy settles in and everyone are happy for a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sneak in quietly* Hello, please don't throw rocks at me for not updating for so long, I am here with a new chapter. And it's fluffy! Kind of.

"Eggsy! Come back here!" Even someone sitting inside the castle like Merlin can hear Harry shouting all the way from the training yard. He looks up from his scroll and peeks out the window, the one that Harry insisted be kept uncovered, to see what the deal is _this time_. Almost every time Eggsy has a sword training lesson with Harry, all sorts of shenanigans happen. Harry is a very enthusiastic master and thus tends to overwork Eggsy or expects him to learn a skill too fast, and Eggsy would pretend to be hurt or run away to get out of training. Merlin smiles fondly. He loves watching Eggsy's antics when it's aimed at Harry and Harry's struggle to keep the lad in line. He's also glad that the Eggsy makes himself at home and has warmed up to them very quickly.

Merlin grins when he hears footsteps approaching. The lighter, quicker sounds announce Eggsy long before he even shows his face. The door swings open and close very quickly. Then, like a whirlwind, Eggsy runs in and hides behind Merlin's chair.

"Save me, Merlin!" Eggsy pleads.

"What did you do, lad?"

"I didn't block an attack from Harry fast enough, now he wants me to practice blocking fifty times!"

Merlin chuckles, "Maybe he's right?"

"Nooo! Merlin!" Eggsy interrupts, whining. "My arms will fall off!"

"If you don't block properly in a real fight, your arms will get cut off." Harry walks in, breathless, dishevelled and entirely enchanting. His hair is a mess and his shirt is clinging to his sweaty body at all the right places. All in all, it's not going to do Merlin any favours if he looks too long, so Merlin turned his attention back to the boy that disturbed his quiet moment instead.

Eggsy, encouraged by the fact that he's behind Merlin, pokes his tongue out. "Bet Merlin can whoop your royal arse without needing to block."

"Manners, Eggsy!" Harry and Merlin chide at the same time.

"'m sorry, sirs." Eggsy apologises immediately, feeling bad about his slip-up.

Harry stays silent, contemplating Eggsy's apology and makes the lad squirm. Merlin snorts inwardly at Harry's pettiness and waves his hand at Eggsy, signalling that he is forgiven. Eggsy's face brightens up while Harry sighs.

"You keep letting him get away with things," Harry complains.

"And yet I always have his full attention during my lessons," Merlin smirks.

"That's because you spoil him rotten."

"Not true!" Eggsy defends Merlin, "I really like reading! I want to learn words so one day I can speak fancy like you guys! And stories, I love stories! Merlin tells me stories!" Eggsy pauses to think. "I like writing less. My words don't look nice," he pouts.

"Soon enough, you will master both reading and writing. Then I will teach you geography, history and mathematics, lad. It's nae staying easy."

Eggsy groans and Harry laughs. "Good luck," Harry says with fake sympathy.

"I'll just go train with Harry then!" Eggsy changes his tone and turns to Harry, acting like he isn't the one who just ran away from training moments ago.

"He is planning to teach you courtly manners and battle tactics-"

"Argh! 'm a child! Why'd you do this to me?" Eggsy moaned. The lad must have learned that from Harry, Merlin is sure.

Harry walks over to where Merlin sits, and Eggsy is hiding, and kneels down to Eggsy's eye level with his body turned to somewhere between the two of them so that he can speak to them both. "That's because, and I think Merlin agrees with me here, you are a very talented young man, Eggsy. We see great potential in you and want to give you the best foundation to build upon. We are hard taskmasters for sure, but we are proud of you. In a few months, you have learned as much as many people did in years. We want to see how good you can be."

As Harry's little motivational speech progresses, Eggsy stands straighter and puffs his chest out more and more. Merlin has to smile at how solemn the lad looks. Eggsy idolises Harry, so, such high compliment must make him feel beyond happy.

Merlin is caught a little off guard when Eggsy looks up to him with the same adoration in his eyes and waits to see if he agrees with Harry. "Yes, Harry is right, lad. We want you to be the best you can be and sometimes we are a little... impatient. You are a good student." Merlin concedes.

 _And I don't know how much time I still have left to teach you_ , a pang of sadness hits Merlin. Eggsy, oblivious to the turmoil inside Merlin, jumps around and sings joyfully while Harry tells him half-heartedly to be careful not to break anything. _The irony_ , Merlin thinks, _to finally find happiness and companionship, only to know that it's fleeting_.

When Eggsy finally comes back down from cloud nine, Harry tells him that he's had enough fun for the time being and they should get back to training. Merlin agrees and promises to come out to the training yard if Eggsy does what Harry tells him to. It's a rare thing for Merlin to stop lurking in the darkness so Eggsy gets very excited and immediately runs back to the training yard.

* * *

 

A while later, true to his words, Merlin watches Harry and his technically-squire train while reading a book. Since he's a wizard and there is no reason to suffer needlessly, he brings a comfortable chair and moves a tree over to provide himself with some shade, just for this occasion. In the yard, Harry drills Eggsy on blocking moves. Harry attacks from any direction he sees fit and Eggsy has to find a way not to get hit. Merlin loses count how many times Eggsy has died if this was a real battle. The frequency of his "deaths" does decrease over time, however, and Merlin is pleased. Eggsy might feel hopeless against his master but many people would feel the same way if they were to fight Harry.

Suddenly, Eggsy throws himself on the ground. "I'm dead. Y' can't kill me any more if I'm dead," he declares.

Harry chuckles. "Had enough?"

Eggsy doesn't reply, playing up the whole "dead" act which makes Merlin laugh as well. He opens one eye when he hears that and scrunches his nose. "Merlin, you are tough, yeah? Come fight Harry for me!"

"Lad, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Please? I want to see Harry lose to someone!"

"You think I'd lose?" Harry is smiling now, but not his usual sweet dimpled smile. Oh no, this smile is a troublesome, almost sinister one. Merlin really hopes it wasn't his evilness that rubbed off on Harry. One should have known better than implying that the best knight in at least five kingdoms can be beaten easily in right front of the man.

"Harr-"

"Come on, Merlin. Surely you wouldn't chicken out? The boy is so eager to see you fight!" Harry says silkily.

 _That's bait. That's absolutely bait._ Merlin will not bite that.

"Come on Merlin!" Eggsy, oblivious to the sudden change in aura from Harry, eggs Merlin on. "You can't let him call you a chicken!"

_I can and I would. This is a lose-lose situation._

"Pleeeaaaassseeee!" begs Eggsy, who has already somehow run to the weapon rack and carried a practice sword up to Merlin.

"You can't get out of this now, _Dark Wizard_. Come give us some _proper instructions_."

Merlin sighs and snaps his fingers, changing himself into proper, fitting training clothes instead of the usual wizard robe he wears to hide himself in. He takes the wooden sword offered to him and makes his way toward where Harry is waiting. Both of them bow to each other and Merlin takes a defensive stance.

Harry, sensing Merlin's hesitation, strikes immediately. Merlin blocks it in time and then barely dodges the next attack without having a chance to counter. Harry presses on relentlessly and Merlin holds on by the skin of his teeth. Merlin has watched Harry fight in real battles before, he knows Harry is just seizing him up and showing off right now. The moment Harry decides to fight for real, Merlin won't stand a chance. Well, that is, if they fight on equal terms, which plays to Harry's strength. But, Merlin isn't some silly green knight with no trick up his sleeves now, is he? Harry challenged the most powerful wizard around to a duel and if he thinks Merlin can be beaten easily, he has another think coming. Harry is not the only one with a competitive streak. _You insisted, Harry._

Merlin, while still dodging and blocking Harry's attack, secretly retrieves a small smoke bomb hidden inside his armguard and throws it between them. Harry misses his strike due to all the smoke and Merlin uses Harry's confusion and limited vision to get behind him. Merlin uses the broad side of his sword to strike the back of Harry's thighs, causing his knees to give out and then promptly, literally kicks his arse while snickering. Harry, being the fighter he is, doesn't drop face down on the ground, and manages to negate most of the damage of the fall. He flips on his back and uses a leg to swipe Merlin's legs, causing him to fall as well. They both forgo their swords and end up grappling and rolling on the ground, each trying to pin the other person down.

"You...cheated..." Harry says while trying to keep Merlin's face down on the dirt and stop him from struggling.

Merlin frees one of his hands after some dexterous twists, grabs Harry's head and pulls him down; then, with his shoulder, uses the momentum to throw Harry on his back and gets on top of him.

"First," Merlin takes a deep breath, "ye did nae specify the rules. Second, ye challenged a wizard." Harry grits his teeth and tries to break free, but Merlin manages to keep his hold. "Third, if ye pin someone down, especially me, use yer whole weight."

Harry, hearing the taunt, becomes more determined to get the upper hand back. _You are not the only one who can play dirty_ , he thinks and starts lightly writhing, rubbing himself against Merlin to make him uncomfortable.

"Hey, stop doing that!" Merlin protests, but it's too late. His moment of distraction is the perfect opening that Harry needs to flip over again.

This time, Harry does use his whole body weight. In fact, he climbs on top of Merlin and sits with his knees firmly planted on the sides of Merlin's hips and his forearms keeping both of Merlin's shoulders locked.

"Try breaking out now." Harry grins. "Struggle all you want. No magic."

"I was going ta blast ye, but fine." Merlin sighs. "I yield, let me out." _Else it will get very awkward very soon._

"Giving up so soon? What about your reputation?" Harry taunts.

"Eh. No one will believe ye." Merlin shrugs.

Harry knows his victory is flimsy at best so he takes what he can get and stand up. "Well, I win!" He declares, mostly to inform Eggsy.

"You guys didn't really swordfight!" Eggsy protests. "Merlin beat you during the sword fighting part, you only won the rolling around part!"

"It was a brawl, Eggsy. In a brawl, you use any skill you have to defeat the opponent."

 _Sure, call it_ skill _if you will_. Merlin snorts subtly.

"But Merlin just gave up!" Eggsy argued.

Merlin decides to get up and defuse the situation. Who would have thought that wee Eggsy would come to Merlin's defence against his own uncle? That scene sends a rare wave of delight through Merlin and for a while, it warms his heart. He never expected this, just standing there, watching Harry and Eggsy, feeling happy. When he brought Harry here, he didn't dare to dream of any of this. All he wished for was a little respite from all the loneliness and isolation. Now, he has somehow found a little temporary family that will be by his side until the time he has to go and meet his real family. He is thankful for this little miracle in his otherwise cursed life.

"Lad, it's fine. One only needs to win the battles that matter. Let Harry have this." He whispers to Eggsy and the lad starts smiling.

"If you say so, Merlin," Eggsy winks.

Harry sighs audibly. "Eggsy, you are MY nephew. One would think you'd take MY side."

"Yea... 'bout that..." Eggsy tries to justify his favouritism. "I love you, Uncle Harry. But I love Merlin too, yeah? I hear people say mean things about Merlin. So I argue for him, cos he's not there to give 'em a lesson! Kind of got used to doing it." Eggsy shrugs.

"Who says mean things about Merlin?" Harry asks, frowning.

"People, villagers. Whenever something bad happens, they blame Merlin. I saw someone stole a cow. He said the Dark One took it for an evil ritual. I got mad so I yelled at him. He kicked my arse but people found out he stole it." Eggsy looked so proud of himself, as if he just defended a village, not the tainted reputation of the infamous Dark Wizard.

Harry's scowl deepened. Of course, he also once thought the Dark Wizard was, well, _dark_. That was before. Hearing Eggsy bringing it up now just makes him suddenly realise how wrong everyone's perception on his friend is. Just look at how much Eggsy adores Merlin. And Eggsy, Eggsy was exposed to all this antagonism against Merlin, yet he did not let the public's opinion sway his own judgment. Harry is impressed and proud of the boy.

Merlin, on the other hand, laughs. He musses up Eggsy's hair and tells him. "Lad, you don't have to worry about me. I play this role because it protects me and gives me advantages in certain situations."

"But you are a good man! And they were dishonest!"

Merlin, touched, bends down and gives Eggsy a light hug. "You are a good lad. Promise me you won't stop fighting for what's right, will you?"

Eggsy, confused, just nods. "Yes, sir?"

"Good," Merlin clears his throat, "Let's get inside. I'll give you one of those smoke bombs I used if you promise only to use it when you are in danger."

"Really?"

"Aye."

"You're the BEST!" declares Eggsy.

"Hey, stop bribing my nephew!" Harry protests without any heat in his words then wordlessly starts a race with Eggsy inside, both of them laughing.

"You can start teaching the lad to ride," Merlin calls after them. "He'd love you for it!"

_This is good enough._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bent over backwards for an excuse for Harry and Merlin to wrestle in the dirt since those boys didn't have much of a childhood. Well, I hope they enjoy the moments of happiness because angst is coming. *cackle*


End file.
